Soviet public catering: menus, recipes, popular dishes of Soviet cuisine, photos

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Soviet cuisine is a concept that causes nostalgia for most residents of modern Russia. The period of its formation is quite long, almost the entire century, while the Soviet power was in effect. The composition of dishes that developed then differs significantly from the original Russian one. She absorbed, among other things, elements of French. Its difference can be called internationalism. The principles of Soviet public catering have been transferred today to the basis of modern canteens and restaurants.

Pledge of popularity

There was a period when every new catering establishment was dedicated to foreign cuisine. It was a novelty, which led to increased consumer interest. If the restaurateur wants to attract the maximum number of customers, then you have to select a menu that will be as attractive as possible. Frog legs, meat in sweet and sour sauce, tiramisu - all these novelties were successfully sold.

But time passed, and the exotic got bored. That's when people againremembered about the Soviet public catering. Today, Soviet dishes have become quite popular and are actively included in the menu of restaurants. And this is not surprising, because they contain products familiar to Russian people, and are also balanced and tasty.

Becoming a menu

Soviet public catering did not immediately decide on the set of dishes that became typical for it. The formation of the menu went through several stages, which reflected the socio-economic development of Russia. Significant changes to the menu took place during the Revolution and the First World War. This affected not only catering establishments. In each family, dishes appeared that were fixed in the status of traditional Soviet dishes. So, from the Urals, dumplings spread throughout Russia. The Union republics instilled a love for borscht, cabbage soup, dumplings and s alted lard. Central Asia and the Caucasus made barbecue, manti and pilaf primordially “Soviet”.

Soviet public catering in the same way included dishes such as Kiev cutlets in the menu. The same fate awaited Odessa beef stroganoff. As you can see, the menu is prefabricated. Most of the dishes are not originally Russian, but they organically fit into the overall picture and became recognizable and loved.

Second half century

At this time, the Soviet catering has changed a lot. Private canteens have emerged that have been able to expand the range of traditional dishes, creating an attractive and varied menu. There were a goose and a duck,dumplings and kulebyaki, caviar and various pastries.

But, by and large, they started talking about the Soviet catering after the Second World War. Economic growth allowed many to eat in canteens or restaurants, plus the fight against "kitchen slavery" was carried out. People were attracted by the appearance of a wide range of meat dishes. Now it was possible to try the famous escalopes, schnitzels, steaks and meatballs.

Modern restaurants

Today, restaurants recreate the atmosphere of bygone times with one goal: to attract the attention of consumers who have a bright image of Soviet times in their memory. But most restaurants focus only on external paraphernalia. That is, faceted glasses, portraits of leaders, a sickle and a hammer. Often the dishes on the menu have old names, but the similarity with the original ends there.

But if the restaurateur not only imitates the decoration of a bygone era, but also preserves the recipe, he will certainly succeed. No need to go far, remember the bakery products of the Soviet public catering. What a smell there was when ordinary bread was brought to the store! And about the sweet buns, it’s not worth talking about at all. Today, a store can show off a dozen varieties of bread on the shelves, while standing a few steps from the shelves you will not smell the baking.

DIY

But do not be discouraged if you really loved the famous Olivier or herring under a fur coat. It's not hard to make them at home. To do this, it is enough to purchase a book called "National Cuisines of Our Peoples", which has absorbed the dishes of the cuisines of ournational republics, approved at one time by the culinary council of the USSR. It was published in 1978 and then reprinted several times. However, even without this publication, residents of cities and villages of the post-Soviet space are able to reproduce their favorite dishes in their own kitchen, there is nothing particularly difficult in their preparation, and further you can see this.

Best first course

Let's try to make a weekly menu together, which will consist of the most delicious and he althy dishes that we all remember from childhood. And the first thing I would like to mention is meat cabbage soup with sauerkraut. For cooking, you will need the following set of ingredients:

• Beef - 700g
• Sauerkraut - 300g
• Potato - 600g
• Onions and carrots - 200g each
• Spices, herbs.

Meat must be boiled until done. This will take 1.5 hours. Cut it into cubes and send back to the broth. Grate the carrots and cut the onions into cubes. Fry the onion in a pan, add carrots to it. We send diced potatoes to the broth, and after 7 minutes cabbage. If it is strongly acidic, squeeze and rinse. Boil for 10 minutes.

Cheesecakes with sour cream

Alternatively, you can cook dumplings with cottage cheese. The set of products will be the same. You will need:

• Cottage cheese - 250g
• Chicken egg - 2 pcs
• Sour cream - 5 tbsp. l.
• Sugar - 4 tbsp. l.
• Flour - 5 - 6 tbsp. l.
• Vinegar slaked soda - 0.5t.l.

Soviet catering recipes are distinguished by their simplicity. It does not require expensive products and sophisticated household appliances, even the presence of serious experience in the kitchen is not required. Just follow the instructions and you will be fine.

The dough is kneaded like pancakes. The first step is to beat the eggs with sugar, add sour cream, soda and flour. Mix well. Put the dough with a spoon in a pan and fry over low heat until cooked.

Pancakes with jam

This is a dish from our childhood. But today it is very difficult to find real jam. Therefore, either cook it yourself in the fall and roll it into jars, or you will have to come to terms with the fact that you will not succeed in such pancakes as before. But nevertheless, let's learn how to cook them. The kitchen of the Soviet public catering devoted a lot of time to dessert dishes that can be served for an afternoon snack or for breakfast. Treat your kids to this treat!

To make pancakes you will need:

• Kefir - 0.5 liters.
• Flour - 2 tbsp
• Egg - 1 pc
• Sugar - 3 tbsp. l.
• Soda - 0.5 tsp
• Apple jam - 200g

These are stuffed pancakes that will win you over with a magical taste. First of all, you need to slightly warm the kefir and add soda. Now pour out the sugar, add the egg and s alt. Mix all ingredients well with a whisk and add flour. The dough is ready. Heat up the pan and start spooning it in. Quickly put a teaspoon of jam on top andclose with another spoonful of dough. Fry on both sides and lay on a towel to soak up the oil. You can serve it with honey or sour cream, but even without them, pancakes fly away with a bang: tender, sweet, very tasty!

Borscht "Moscow"

Another great Soviet catering dish. Previously, it was served in almost all canteens of the country. For cooking you will need:

• Beef and smoked ribs - 150g each
• Ham and sausages - 100g each
• Carrots, onions and beets.
• Bouillon - 1500 ml.
• Cabbage - 300g
• Tomato paste and ghee - 50g each

Cooking is not too complicated. At the same time, the dish turns out to be fantastically fragrant and tasty. The first step is to cook the meat. To do this, the pulp and ribs need to be poured with two liters of water and simmered until tender.

• Cut the onion and carrot into strips, fry and add the tomato.
• Separately in a pan, heat the beets, add vinegar, sugar and tomato. Add fried onions with carrots and heat for another 10 minutes.
• Chop the cabbage. Spread it in a boiling broth and add the rest of the vegetables. Add vinegar and spices, s alt and wait another 5 minutes. Let stand for another 15 minutes.
• Remove meat and smoked meats, cut into cubes. Add chopped sausages, put sour cream.

The whole cooking time does not take more than 30 minutes. This makes the dish tasty and nutritious. The whole family will love it.

Cutlets

Of course, this is the signature dish of all canteens, cafeterias and even restaurants. A delicious cutlet with a side dish and sauce is a great option for lunch or dinner. You will need:

• Beef - 2 kg.
• Onion - 1 kg.
• Bread - 700g
• Egg - 1 pc
• S alt, pepper, oil.
• Breadcrumbs - 2 cups.
• Water - 300 ml.
• Milk - 100 ml.

Bread needs to be soaked in milk. Until it gets wet, you need to twist the minced meat and add the onion to it. We introduce egg, bread, s alt into this mass. Now you need to beat off the mass well. The quality of the cutlets depends on this. Then you need to roll each in breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown.

Final touch. They are fried only for a crust, but not for frying. After that, the cutlets need to be folded into a large form and poured into the bottom of the water. It should cover the cutlets by about a third. Bake without a lid, at 200 degrees, for about 50 minutes. There is usually some liquid left by this time, but it will be absorbed immediately once you take the pan out of the oven.

This is exactly the dish that became the face of Soviet catering. The photo allows us to judge that a cutlet supplemented with any porridge will become a full-fledged, satisfying meal. And if you also add a salad, then it will pass for a masterpiece.

Herring under a fur coat

In principle, nothing special. A classic snack that was served in all catering establishments. For cooking you will need:

• S alted fish (herring, mackerel) - 700g
• Potato - 200g
• Beets - 200g
• Carrot - 200g
• Onion - 1 turnip.
• Mayonnaise - to taste.

The cooking process begins with the preparation of fish. It must be disassembled into fillets, removing all the bones, even the smallest ones. Separately, you need to boil all the vegetables, cool and peel. Lettuce is assembled in layers. Put the herring in the first layer, onion on top. Then comes diced (you can grate on a coarse grater) potatoes, grated carrots and beets. Each layer should be well smeared with mayonnaise.

Milk kissel

What could be a better end to a meal than a glass of delicious jelly? In Soviet times, fruit and berry kissels were cooked. And there were those, dairy. The Soviet catering menu was quite varied and interesting, contrary to modern ideas. Let's learn how to make this drink together.

You will need:

• Milk - 3 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 tbsp. l.
• Starch - 2 tbsp. l.
• Vanilla sugar.

Starch should be diluted with a glass of cold milk and strained. Pour the rest of the milk into a saucepan and boil. Add sugar. Now pour in the starch in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes. In the finished jelly you need to add vanilla. Pour into bowls and refrigerate. Best served with jam or condensed milk. Children will especially like this delicacy. Moreover, it is very useful forgrowing body, as it contains quite a lot of calcium.

As you can see, Soviet cuisine was very interesting. All dishes are simple and inexpensive, but at the same time he althy, tasty and nutritious. If you want to plan or diversify your family's usual menu, then pay attention to them.